On The Politically Compliant

Woke up this morning thinking of our friends in the animal kingdom, and their affinity for their counterparts in Ottawa.

Party Puppet: House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer

And it is not difficult to figure out who is pulling his strings.

Senator Pamela Wallin: We Request The Pleasure of Your Company

But the question is, will the wily woman from Wadena accept this invitation from the Senate committee on internal economy, budgets and administration to visit with them? Perhaps, like her more infamous colleague, the already-disgraced Mike Duffy, she will turn down this opportunity to unburden herself?

Meanwhile, some of the good folks of Wadena keep the faith, while others are not so sure about Pamela's probity:

More Cracks in the Conservative Monolith

Hannah Thibedeau's report gladdened my heart this morning as she detailed the events behind federal Conservative M.P. Brent Rathgeber's decision to leave the Harper caucus over changes to his private member's bill that would have required the public disclosure of all the expenses and salaries of highly paid public service workers. This, coupled with recent Conservative backbencher discontent over their muzzling, gives at least some faint hope for a brighter future on the Canadian political landscape.

This comes on the heels of a damning indictment from the right-wing Canadian Taxpayers Federation prompted by Harper's failure to meet its expectations of fiscal ruthlessness, as reported in today's Star by Thomas Walkon.

A Young Person Responds To Kevin O'Leary

It is young people like Rachel Parent who give me some reason to hope for the future:

Canada's Complicity In Torture

Thanks to alternative media, Canada's recent denigration of all things U.N. begins to make sense. Just another instance of how we have become a renegade nation under the Harper cabal.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Shelley)

I see that Shelley Glover, the Conservative M.P. for St. Boniface riding, is in a spot of trouble. It seems that the lady who practically levitates out of her House of Commons seat to lead a standing ovation each time her dear leader deigns to speak could be suspended from that seat should Elections Canada have its way.

Somewhat reminiscent of the campaign irregularities that forced the resignation of Peter Penashue and later led to his defeat in a byelection, Glover, along with fellow traveller James Bezan, the Conservative MP for Selkirk-Interlake, failed to file campaign documents from the 2011 election. Letters sent to the Speaker of the House advised "that an elected candidate shall not continue to sit or vote as members of the House of Commons pending the filing of complete and accurate returns”.

Glover has filed an appeal, explaining the problem this way:

“This is an accounting dispute between the campaign and Elections Canada.”

Predictably, party-loyalist-masquerading-as-impartial-Member-of-Parliament Andrew Scheer, the Speaker of the House, said he is awaiting the court decisions before taking any action.

Meanwhile, I thought readers might enjoy a 'greatest hits' compilation video of the 'honourable' member from St. Boniface: